Disclaimer: never did and never will own it. Marvel does.
Spoilers: canon until Captain America: Civil War (and the post-credit scenes of Black Panther).
Timeline: supposedly happens between Avengers Infinity War and Avengers 4.

AN: In this universe, Avengers: Infinity War didn't happen. At least, not like in the movie. So there are no spoilers for it, except for things so minor that you won't notice them unless you've seen the movie. What happened between The Problem With That Camera and First Test is that Thanos indeed came, but didn't get the Infinity Stones on Earth and as he hasn't found the Soul Stone yet, decided to find it first and then come for the others, since he knows where they are. So he left back for space and the Avengers are waiting for him to come back. Also, Tony and Steve are more or less reconciled.

Because there are some things that irk me. For years, Thanos sent minions to get the Stones in his stance to no avail. When he decides to do it himself, he manages to do so in record time. And also, to get the Time Stone in the Tesseract, he gives the Mind Stone to Loki. Er… what?

So, Thanos is still a threat in this universe, first of all because I conceived it before Avengers: Infinity War came out.

"Bucky, how come you didn't ask any girl to dance since you're back?"

Bucky looked at Steve as if he had grown a second head. "Sure. I mean, which girl won't be thrilled to have either her hand crushed by a metallic one or her waist wrapped in a bionic arm?"

Summer snickered.

"Not to mention that I can't say my name without having everyone run away in horror of the infamous Winter Soldier, thanks to that time authorities deem it fun to divulge my name on the international news."

"Your name has been rehabilitated since."

"Was it? I distinctly remember Secretary Ross trying to get me to jail even after the Thanos's incident."

Steve opened his mouth, but Bucky didn't give him the time to protest. "I fought with you, Steve. People who matter know which side I'm on. The others... I don't care."

"Yes, you do and you won't find a girl among the ranks of 'people who matter'."

"Which world have I fallen into? Steve is trying to find me a girl? Okay, that's it, I've really turned into your old you. Besides, did you ask anyone to dance yet?"

"Yes, I did ask Peggy."

"Uh-uh. She said 'once it's all over'. It was over when you were in the ice, so maybe you asked her, but you didn't go to dance."

"That's not what you asked." Steve was the personification of innocence.

Bucky glared at him before smiling suddenly. "Peggy? You haven't asked anyone since Peggy? And you dare berating me?"

"You loved to dance, pal."

"Yes, I did, but that guy fell from a train a long time ago and the one who came out of cryo mastered another kind of dance, a lot deadlier."

Steve chose not to answer that, which was too close to something he had once said to Tony for comfort.

"I still don't know how to dance," he said instead.

"Yeah, well, considering how people danced last time I checked, you just need to move very slowly next to your partner. Even you should manage it."

"I'll teach you, if you want," Summer offered. "I won't get the wrong idea and it'll be okay if you step on my feet sometimes."

Steve stared at her. She sighed. "Ah, still haven't forgiven me for being a Russian spy? I'm Dora Milaje, now. It is a genuine offer, not a trick to kill you discreetly."

"I know. I was just surprised. You know how to dance?"

"I was not frozen for the last seventy years and I have a life. Well, I had one, strange as it may seem. Anyway, as spies, we're supposed to be able to mingle easily and you can't if you don't know how to dance. Besides, it is fun. Now, if you're embarrassed to ask someone called Summer to the spring dance, I can understand."

Steve laughed.

"Any thought about changing your name?" Bucky asked.

She shrugged carelessly. "You can still call me Svetlana or Sveti if you prefer, but I think you would rather not. Now, if there's a girl's name you like, I'll choose it, no problem."

Bucky looked baffled. Steve inwardly smiled. Summer continued to be all over Bucky and it was amusing to see the man he remembered as being at ease with girls be totally at a loss as soon as she was concerned. On the other hand, he knew why his friend was surprised. Bucky didn't think he was deserving any positive attention.

"And what about your real name?" Steve asked. "Is it really Svetlana?"

"Ah... No. It's Ekaterina."

"Katya," Bucky murmured, before saying suddenly, "You could call yourself Rose."

"You like that name?"

"Not particularly. But you know, 'a rose by any other name would smell as sweet'."

"You're quoting Shakespeare to me?"

"That's not what Shakespeare wrote. He wrote 'What's in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other word would smell as sweet'."

"Still, you're quoting Shakespeare to me? And Romeo and Juliet to boot!"

She looked at him seriously.

"I'd go dancing with you if you asked me."

Bucky's eyes turned horrified; he looked down at his hands before turning away and leaving without a word.

"What did I say?" Summer asked, nonplussed.

Steve sighed. "Killing hands," he said as if it explained everything.

He watched as Shuri collided with Bucky like a bullet; he caught her with his right arm – which incidentally prevented her to fall – but Steve was probably the only one to see the left hand close into a fist and move in the direction of Shuri's head before Bucky caught himself and relaxed his arm. Shuri laughed, freed herself from his embrace, shoved him away playfully and left for her original destination. As if feeling Steve's gaze on him, Bucky turned around and looked at him, challenging him with his eyes. Steve ignored him in favour of Summer.

"I'd gladly invite you to dance, Kate," he said, "if you still mean it that you would teach me."